2 New Jai Alai 7" Releases - Willie Walker And The Butanes & Pete Belasco

2 NEW JAI ALAI 7" RELEASES - WILLIE WALKER AND THE BUTANES & PETE BELASCO
PRE-ORDER NOW FOR 10th SEPTEMBER

𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙀 𝙒𝘼𝙇𝙆𝙀𝙍 & 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙐𝙏𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙎 - 𝙄 𝙁𝙀𝙀𝙇 𝙄𝙏 / 𝘾𝙍𝙔, 𝘾𝙍𝙔, 𝘾𝙍𝙔 (𝙅𝘼𝙍06)

A double treat for those who love timeless Southern Soul flavoured with some of those good ol’ down home blues.

Memphis born, and Minneapolis based, Willie Walker can comfortably be included in the pantheon of grittiest soul singers along with Wilson Pickett, Syl Johnson, Lou Rawls, James Carr, Eddie Floyd, Tyrone Davis and L.V. Johnson, to name but a few, but there has always been speculation about other Willie Walkers. The recordings on Eutor and Hi in the 70’s are not by the same Willie as those on Goldwax and Checker in the 60’s. He did, however, also record as Wee Willie Walker.

He was a member of The Rhythm Harmonizers, The Val-Dons, The Exciters, The Bound Band, Willie & The Bumblebees (although that Willie is actually Willie Murphy of The Val-Dons), and Canoise, spanning a long and varied career before hooking up with the Minneapolis based band The Butanes in 2004, with whom he made the next three albums. The first of these was mainly cover versions, but "Right Where I Belong" (2004) and "Memphisapolis" (2006) are notable for each providing the tracks that make up this latest Jai Alai release, a label that differs from sister label Soul4Real by featuring 21st century tracks previously CD only but now released on 7” vinyl for the first time. It also has to be noted that all the tracks on both these albums were written and produced by Curtis Obeda, who managed to track down Willie after so many years.

"I Feel It" will have been missed by most as it was on the CD "Right Where I Belong" which was released in 2004 on the most unlikely of UK imprints, the Wirral based One On One Records run by Colin Dilnot. The album is a lavish display of real instruments from a band that once backed John Lee Hooker and Little Johnny Taylor and the perfect setting for Willie’s powerful vocals.

Just tipping five glorious minutes, "Cry, Cry, Cry" is a perfect example of why soul music is inextricably linked to the blues, and when the gospel styled chorus joins in towards the end, you realise that this could, maybe should, have carried on for just a little bit longer. Perhaps a fuller length version exists?

Sadly, Willie died peacefully in his sleep in November 2019, but to complete his story check out the two albums on Blue Dot as Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra. To quote the great Quinton Claunch…”Willie was one of the best to come out of Memphis in the 60’s”.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘀

(𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼, 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼)

𝙋𝙀𝙏𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙇𝘼𝙎𝘾𝙊 - 𝙊𝙉𝙀 / 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙍 (𝙅𝘼𝙍07)

𝙋𝙀𝙏𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝙇𝘼𝙎𝘾𝙊 - 𝙊𝙉𝙀 / 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙏𝙀𝙍 (𝙅𝘼𝙍07)

Not a great deal is known about this talented artist having released only 4 albums in a recording career that started in 1993. Raised in a musical family by piano playing parents he began learning the instrument at an early age, later concentrating on the saxophone, but became a multi-instrumentalist by the time was signed to Verve Records, playing most forms of keyboards, synths, vibes, as well as sax and flute. He moved to Florida, from his native New York, shortly after graduating from studying music at university in New Jersey, and played in local rock bands whilst developing his love for jazz, and was working on a demo to try and get a record deal.

Disaster struck when he was involved in a serious boating accident in which both hands were badly crushed and he was unable to play an instrument for many months, during which time he developed a skill for singing and composing. Turning adversity into opportunity is the best way to describe the outcome.

So why is a soul label interested in releasing some of his material? Both tracks selected, "One" and "Sweeter", are released on vinyl for the first time and come from his third album, "Lights On", released on his own label Eaak Records following a break of 7 years which was devoted to raising his children. The sounds are undeniably late night make-out music, lush, sophisticated and sensuous.

The majority of plaudits for his work previously came from the world of contemporary jazz and, dare I say it, smooth jazz, and was largely ignored by the soul magazines and radio stations. His captivating falsetto vocal style, reflects his influences by Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye. All his material is self-penned and the albums were co-produced with drummer Guy Eckstine. There is an underlying 70’s feel to the contemporary arrangements and his work is clearly deserving of greater recognition.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘀

(𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼, 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼)

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Label design by Jordi Duró.

𝗣𝗥𝗘-𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗙𝗢𝗥 10𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥

𝟭𝟰 𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘀 + postage as it follows:

1 to 5 copies: 6,90 euros UK & Europe

1 to 5 copies: 2,70 euros Spain

1 to 5 copies: 10,55 euros USA & rest of the world

𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗔𝗬𝗣𝗔𝗟 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 & 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆:

soul4realrecordlabel@gmail.com

Check previous releases: www.soul4real.es